A Fullmetal Scare
by tenshihijimushi
Summary: What happens when Ed is found in New York City?
1. Chapter 1

Eternity walked backwards through the snow, smiling at her best friend Aria. They had met in eighth grade at an anime convention, and since then had become very close.

"I told you that you'd love New York!" She squealed. "I didn't get to see it so close to Christmas before. It's so pretty!" She waved her hands excitedly. Aria laughed. Ever since Eternity had come to New York for Thanksgiving one year, she had been trying to convince her friend to come too. Now they were both fifteen and borrowing Eternity's aunt's apartment while she was away on business, and traveling everywhere in New York. After riding the subway to Times Square, they were walking to the house nearby. But a few wrong turns later, they were in a completely unrecognizable area of the city. Aria began to get nervous.

"Where are we?" She asked, a little wary. She had heard of the areas of New York that were dangerous and didn't like the thought of being lost at all.

"We can ask that person up there, with the blonde hair, where we are and how to get back." Eternity assured her. She tapped the person's shoulder. "Excuse me--" She froze as the person turned around. Aria gasped, immediately thinking that the person was holding a knife, or a gun. She rushed up just in time for Eternity to collapse in a dead faint, and it was her turn to see the face that had so shocked her friend. Aria's eyes widened at the face while the person looked at her in confusion. Before Aria knew it, she was out like a light also. She barely heard the boy's voice as she fell into darkness.

"Al! Come here!"

When Eternity opened her eyes, she had no idea for a moment what happened or where she was. But as her cobalt blue eyes studied the plain white ceiling, it all came back to her. _Just a hallucination, just a hallucination..._She thought fervently. But when she tried to sit up, she felt a hand on her arm.

"Aria, what happened? I had the wierdest dream..." She started, her voice coming out muddled from the sleep.

"Aria? Is that the other girl's name?" A familiar voice asked. She turned to see the boy that she thought she had seen before, but tried to convince herself that it was all a hallucination. She nodded numbly, her eyes wide. "I'm Edward Elric. You might know me..." He looked at her in confusion as she continued to stare. "What?"

"You're...you're..." She stuttered, unable to find the words to talk to this boy. "You're the Fullmetal Alchemist. The person that attempted to forego the laws of alchemy..." It was Ed's turn for his eyes to widen. "You're not supposed to be real! Fullmetal Alchemist is a fiction show..." She trailed off.

"Brother? Is she awake?" Another voice that Eternity recognized as Al's called.

"Yeah...and she already knows more about us than we thought." He called back.


	2. Chapter 2

"What do you mean, knows more about us? Is she okay?" Al asked, walking in from the other room. Eternity shook her head. These people were crazy. They had to be cosplayers, just taking it a little too far. You didn't want to be your character, just look like them. These two people pulled it off beautifully, but it was scaring her a little.

"Listen, you're taking this a little too far. Cosplayers just dress up like their characters. They don't act like them too! By the way, those costumes are well made. But still!" She said seriously. "That's enough. Just point me in the way of Times Square so I can go home with Aria." Ed blinked.

"Cosplayers? What would we be cosplaying? We're not cosplayers." He said, obviously confused. Eternity looked between the two of them, a look of disbelief on her face.

"So you're the actual people. You" She pointed to Ed--"Are the actual person who lost his leg trying to ressurect his mother, and gave up an arm so Al could be bound to a suit of armor. You're the one that stood up for Nina and Alexander. You were the one that helped that mining town by buying the rights to the town. You're the one." Ed looked at her, not quite comprehending all that she knew about him. "You're the one that defied Scar when he wanted to kill all state alchemists. You're the one that everyone fights over your couplings. You're the one who hates being called short, and hates it when people call your brother the fullmetal alchemist." She stopped, trying to think of more things she knew him as.

"How do you know all this?" Al asked, his voice filled with distress. But before Eternity could answer, Aria began to stir.

"Eternity? I had a dream where we both saw Ed, and then fainted..." She looked over and her jaw dropped.

"You might not believe it, but I'm pretty sure they're real." Eternity told her friend quietly.

"Pretty sure!" Ed replied, indignant. Eternity ignored him.

"If they aren't, they're the best cosplayers I've ever seen. No one's ever got Ed's and Al's personality down that perfectly. And cosplayers may be eccentric, but they're not crazy. They would've said that they were cosplayers by now." Aria looked at her friend, disbelief written all over her face. Finally, after seeing something in the girls eyes, she turned to the boys.

"There's only one way to find out if they're real or not..." Aria told Eternity, her eyes fixed on Al. "Al...take off your head." Eternity muffled a giggle. That just sounded so...wierd! Al complied, slowly. "Let me see inside." He leaned over, and the two girls looked intently inside the armor's steel body.

There was nothing inside.

Aria pointed at the rune etched onto the neck of the armor, and Eternity knew it also. They were real. This wasn't a fake joke. This wasn't two utterly crazy cosplayers.

They had been talking to Edward and Alphonse Elric.


	3. Chapter 3

Author's Note: I never did a disclaimer U Okay, here goes: I do not own Ed, Al, Roy, or anyone else depicted in this fanfiction. I wish I did, but I didn't. And...I don't know that much about the military barracks, so bear with me if my description is completely different from what they're really supposed to be like! Oh, oh, and I made a website for updates about my story! It's tenshihijimushi. So go there! After you read the story, of course.

* * *

Al screwed his head on with ease, while Ed rolled his eyes at their shock.

"Here we go again..." He said. What Ed thought was that they were shocked from seeing nothing inside. But that was only partially it. The other half was that this was anime hottie #1. This was the guy that they drooled over late at night. This was him.

"Your arm." Aria responded finally, snapping out of her trance. "Let...let us see your right arm." Ed obligingly drew up his sleeve as the automail began to glint. "Your left leg." Automail. Eternity hesitantly brushed her fingers against the cold metal, quickly realizing all the implications of Ed being in New York City.

"We better introduce ourselves," Ed said abruptly, standing and letting his pants leg drop to cover the metal. "I'm Edward Elric, otherwise known as the Fullmetal Alchemist. This--" He knocked his hand against Al's armor casually, not realizing quite how creepy the hollow clang sounded to the girls, "--is Alphonse, my younger brother. "I know you're named Aria, but your name is...?" Eternity's stomach lurched when he looked her straight in the eye.

"Eter...Eternity," She managed to say, looking away quickly. She missed Ed's smile as he noticed the blush creep up her cheeks. Or maybe it was more like a smirk...

Aria, the more sensible of the two, began to examine their surroundings. "Uh, Eternity? I don't think we're in New York anymore...this looks like we're much farther away than just a few blocks from Times Square."

"I meant to ask...what is Times Square? I took you here to the closest place with a bed. A doctor said you fainted from shock, and so I just waited for you to wake up. We're in the military barracks..." Ed looked surprised at the look on Eternity's face, like anger at the world for tricking her.

"He doesn't know what Times Square is. Of course. It had to be me who was transported into an FMA episode. Probably season 23..." She muttered, her face dark.

"Fullmetal! Those girls awake yet?" A voice called. All three of them turned in the direction of Colonel Roy Mustang.


	4. Chapter 4

Ed turned and scowled. "Yes, they are, Mustang."

"This is...Mustang. Roy Mustang. Colonel Roy Mustang." Eternity said, amazed. She looked back and forth at the glares the two guys shot at each other. "I really don't see how those fanfiction writers can think that you two..." She trailed off, but Aria caught her drift and smiled softly.

"I'm Aria, and this is Eternity." Aria introduced to Mustang. "And we already know you, from FMA." Both Roy and Ed gave her a confused look.

"Fullmetal Alchemist. Not you, Ed. The show." Eternity attempted to explain. The puzzled looks didn't change. "Okay, apparently we're in a different dimension. We came from a place called New York."

"I've never heard of there," Roy said thoughtfully. "Go on."

"Like she said, we lived in a different dimension entirely," Aria picked up where Eternity left off. "Somehow Ed crossed that line between the two worlds, yours and ours. And then we passed out," Eternity turned red from embarrassment, "And Ed went back into your dimension. In our world, all of you are part of a fiction tv show, named Fullmetal Alchemist." She finished.

"So that's why you know so much about me..." Ed said to himself, thinking. "But now what are we gonna do? You're here, and your world is somewhere completely different, and I have no idea if I'll ever get you two back to it..."

"Excuse me?" Eternity replied. "What are we going to do? You're taking us with you!" Ed gave her a look that said _What?_ "Listen here, _Fullmetal_, you brought us here. We don't have anywhere to go, any way to get food, any way to get a job. We have absolutely nothing. So, since it's your fault we're here, you have to provide for us." She stated, glaring at Ed. She faltered under his golden gaze, but managed to hold strong until he looked away.

"She's right, brother," Al told him from a corner. "We brought these two here, we have to take care of them until we can get them back." Ed turned his eyes on Al.

"Traitor." He muttered under his breath.

"Well, I guess that settles that," Mustang said, trying to break the tension. "You'll need some clothes. If you'll follow me...?" The two girls nodded and followed, with Ed right behind them. "You don't need to come, Fullmetal."

"I don't trust you alone with them." Ed stated, still pouting over his brother taking someone else's side. Roy shrugged and continued walking, the other three like ducklings behind him.

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Author's note: I'm putting a poll up on my webbie(once baka bravenet stops having 'technical difficulties'), tenshihijimushi. bravehost. com(without spaces). The question is going to be about whether or not there should be fluff/romance, so be sure to go vote!


	5. Chapter 5

Author's Note: This chapter and the next one are both going to be at the same time. It's just following two different groups. So don't worry about sequential order.

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"Fullmetal, you take her. I'll get this one." Roy said, grabbing Aria's arm. All she did to fight back was blink.

"Fine by me...meet you two back here in two hours." Without waiting, Ed grabbed Eternity and walked off. Roy turned to Aria. "So, I guess we should start with the basics, huh?" He led her to the pants. "What size are you?" Aria, suddenly shy without her friend, pulled free and found some nice black pants she liked.

"I'll be right back," She said quietly, her face burning red. She prayed that Roy didn't see her blushing. She rushed into the unisex dressing room, and heard the door open as she struggled into her first pair.

"Let me see you in them. Do they fit?" Roy asked, apparently waiting outside her dressing room door. Aria was glad for the door to hide her tomato-red face, and forced herself to calmness before she walked out, her face calm and serene. "They look good. Let's get some of those." Aria walked back in and changed quickly, cursing herself for being so pathetic around him. _He's just another guy! _Her mind screamed. But her otaku side intervened. _But he's not just any guy. He's _Roy. _Hottness and power, in one package..._ She stepped out and got more of those pants, heading to the shirts.

"Look!" She said later, without even realizing who she was talking to. She held up a shirt that was tight and black. Across the top it said "I hate you", but the A was a heart. She was grinning in happiness at this find, until she remembered who she was with. But, to her surprise, Roy looked like he _might_ smile. But unfortunately, he recovered quickly and regained his composure.

"Let's go then, if we're done." He told her, the sides of his mouth twitching. She stared in awe. Was he about to smile at her! Quickly he whirled and walked away, and Aria had to trot to keep up with him.

They met Ed and Eternity back where they started, Eternity with tons of clothes and looking slightly taken aback at the amount she ended up with.

"Find anything?" Ed asked Aria, completely ignoring Mustang. Aria shrugged. "Let's get going."


	6. Chapter 6

Author's Note: Sorry for the slow update! It was hard, considering I've been grounded for a while...glares at mom So my friend, Aria (or at least in spirit), is posting this for me, and every chapter up to the last one I wrote, which so far is 16. Cheers for her!

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"Fullmetal, you take her. I'll get this one." Roy stated, grabbing Aria.

"Fine by me. Meet you two back here in two hours." Ed replied, steering Eternity away. She smiled, wondering exactly how Aria felt being the one that Roy chose to get clothes with.

"Look at this!" Ed called suddenly, jostling her from her thoughts. With a large grin, he held up a pink shirt that read "I 3 everyone". "It's perfect!"

"No." Eternity said flatly. "I don't love everyone, first of all. Second of all, this is the prep section." She motioned to the abundance of pink. "Come on." Without stopping to think about who she was talking to, she walked to the dark section and found too much stuff that she liked to ever be done with that section. Yet, to her surprise, Ed told her that she could have anything she wanted. He helped her decide when she just refused to take any more, and she seemed to "click" with him. She didn't feel nervous or shy at all, even though she had known this boy as the boy that she thought was hott for so long. She even laughed at his jokes and told some of her own. They were having a great time--that is, until it came time to try things on.

"Let me see them!" Ed pleaded from the other side of the dressing room door.

"Ed, I'm 15. I'm old enough to tell for myself whether something fits or not." Eternity told him teasingly. There was a silence on the other side.

"Please?" He asked finally, his voice laden with sweetness and cuteness. How could she resist? She emerged from the room in a black shirt with the words "I fucking hate you...Have a nice day )" on it and black jeans. "That looks great!" Ed exclaimed, making Eternity blush in embarassment.

"Can I change back now?" She asked, returning to the room to change back into her normal clothes. They consisted of an Evanescence shirt and black jeans, so she didn't look that different leaving again.

"Who is that, anyway?" Ed asked, pointing to her shirt. She gaped at him.

"Amy Lee! She's only the best female singer in the entire world!" She exclaimed. "At least, in our world." She sang softly.

_Playground school bell rings again_

_Rain clouds come to play again_

_Has no one told you she's not breathing?_

_Hello_

_I'm your mind giving you someone to talk to_

_Hello_

Ed stared at her until she turned red. "What?"

"That was...beautiful," He breathed. Eternity rubbed the back of her neck.

"It wasn't that good," She told him. "Aria can sing better, and Amy Lee is a phenomenal singer." He shook his head.

"Singing was never this popular here...and I've never heard something like that before."

"You should hear Aria and I singing together sometime," Eternity said. "We make a good team."

"We better get going back...it's almost time." Ed told her. She nodded and they headed back together, Eternity's head barely peeking over the top of the clothes.


	7. Chapter 7

When they met up again, they dropped off the new stuff back at the room. Al wasn't very happy at being left behind.

"You could have taken me along..." He whined. Ed grinned.

"But you wouldn't have had nearly as much fun as you did back here." He responded, sweeping his arms at the indifferent military personnel. Al sighed.

"Colonel Mustang, sir!" A blonde haired girl walked up and saluted Mustang. "Please come with me, we have a situation!" Mustang sighed.

"I'm coming, Lt. Hawkeye." Without even a word of goodbye, he strode off. Ed shook his head.

"Bye, Colonel Bastard..." He muttered under his breath. Eternity grinned at him, and he smiled back. "Is anyone else hungry?" Ed asked suddenly. "After all this shopping, I'm starved." He didn't wait for an answer and began to walk towards the nearest restaurant. The two girls jogged to catch up to him.

"Wow, you guys really eat well here..." Aria murmured as she glanced over the menu. Shrimp, lobster, steak, it was all there. Eternity's eyes bulged at the prices.

"Are you kidding me! That's expensive!" She told Ed. "I can't eat anything here. It costs too much."

"Don't worry, it's on me." He assured her with a grin.

"No, I don't want to cause you that much trouble..." She replied. "Let's go to someplace where we can get something cheap." Ed's grin grew.

"It's okay, really." He told her. "Here, try the fried shrimp. It's really good." Eternity sighed in defeat. This guy wouldn't give up! She submitted to being served and ate in silence, all the while worrying about being a burden on poor Ed. He already had enough on his plate, without them adding to it...

"I have a question for you two." Ed said. "I want to know everything you know about me and here. From beginning to end." His golden eyes were serious. Aria and Eternity looked at each other; this might take a while.

"It started when you thought you had the perfect formula to ressurect your mother," Eternity began. From there, they wove a tale of pain and fun, of sadness and happiness. Ed found himself drawn into his own story, and marveled at the way their eyes filled with tears when they talked of Hughes and the Nina and Alexander episodes. They seemed to know so much about him, and cared even though they thought he didn't exist. They laughed at his self-chastisment for almost being glad he was small in Laboratory 5, and during the description of Hughes' funeral a few tears leaked from Eternity(Aria had better self-control). When they finally finished explaining all they knew of Ed, there was a silence at their table. The rest of the restaurant just continued as if nothing was happening, but to Ed, the world had changed.

"So you're telling me that anyone who wanted to know all about me in your world could just go to their local bookstore or get online and order the manga or anime," He said slowly. They nodded. "And anime otakus everywhere love my story and wait eagerly for my next move." Another nod. Ed looked like he didn't know what to do. "And there's nothing I can do about it."

"Short of finding a way back to our world and killing the creator and everyone who has ever read the manga or watched the anime, no." Aria told him, slightly amused at the thought. All the police would be out, nowhere would be safe, yet only certain people are picked off...She stifled a giggle at the scene in her mind.

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Author's Note: Just to tell you, the person that updated on my website a while back is my best friend, the actual person that I based Aria off of. I'm just going to call her Aria. Eternity is based off of me.


	8. Chapter 8

"Wait," Eternity said suddenly. "If they're taping you and making you into a show, then does that mean we're part of it?" She looked worried.

"I don't know," Aria replied slowly, looking around for hidden cameras. "Maybe they stopped...?" At that moment, the waiter came with their food. They were silent for a moment while they ate. Eternity picked at her food, Ed shoveled it in like he hadn't eaten in weeks, and Aria just ate normally.

"I bet Al's really annoyed right now..." Eternity mused, realizing that that had been the second time that they had left him behind. Ed shrugged.

"Let him be." He responded around a mouthful of food. "He didn't follow us; it was his choice."

"True..."

"So, you said that you two can sing well together?" Ed asked innocently. "If you don't mind, I'd like to hear it." Aria and Eternity glanced at each other, relaying information through their eyes about which song to sing. They grinned when they understood each other, and began.

_Do you ever feel like breaking down?_

_Do you ever feel out of place?_

_Like somehow you just don't belong_

_And no one understands you?_

_Do you ever wanna run away?_

_Do you lock yourself in your room?_

_With the radio on turned up so loud_

_that no one hears you screaming?_

_Well you don't know what it's like_

_When nothing feels all right_

_No you don't know what it's like_

_To be like me_

_To be hurt_

_To feel lost_

_To be left out in the dark_

_To be kicked when you're down_

_To feel like you've been pushed around_

_To be on the edge of breaking down_

_And no one's there to save you_

_No you don't know what it's like_

_Welcome to my Life_

As they continued and finished the song, the restaurant slowly quieted as they listened to the two girls. In the people's opinion, they sang like angels. In their world, however, they were only average singers. Considering not many people let their voice out even if they could sing, these singing voices were a great improvement on the only other singing that people did, which was drunken screaming. When they finished, they were painfully aware of the silence all around them.

"We didn't mean to sing so loud..." Eternity muttered, turning red from all the stares. Aria, more used to it than her friend, just stared back defiantly. Then, to their utter amazement, one person began to clap slowly. Soon the others were joining in and the whole restaurant was on its feet. Both girls turned red and redder.

"You were right, Eternity. Do you realize how much money you could make off of that? You'd be rich!" He told the two. Eternity grinned.

"I'd rather not, I'm not cut out to be in front of crowds like that." She admitted sheepishly. "I used to think I was, but it makes me feel all selfish, like I shouldn't have the spotlight." Ed shook his head.

"If you're going to hang out with me, you're going to be in the spotlight." He informed her, glancing out the nearby window. "Come on, let's get going. We're leaving in the morning, so we need all the rest we can get." He put some money on the table and dragged the girls out the door, despite Eternity's protests that she didn't finish her food and that she didn't want him to pay for something she didn't eat.


	9. Chapter 9

When they returned, Ed requested two cots and set them up in the room they had awaken in.

"This is where we'll all be sleeping tonight," He explained. The two nodded. "I'll be right back." He walked off without telling them where they were going.

"I wonder where he's heading off to so fast..." Aria wondered idly. Eternity shrugged and sat on her cot. Al was nowhere to be found.

"I wish we had brought something to do," Eternity said wistfully. "I'm gonna get really bored here, doing nothing." Aria nodded in agreement as she sat down also.

"Bored?" Mustang said from somewhere, and they looked up to see him directly in front of them. "If you're that bored, then help me file papers." He grinned mischeviously. "I could use the help."

"Heh...no thanks," Eternity told him. "I'll see if I can get some sleep...wonderful, I don't have any blankets or pillows." She had to settle with snatching the stuff off of one of the beds and snuggling up. Aria quickly grabbed the other set.

"We need our sleep," She explained apologetically to Mustang. "It's been a REALLY long day." He nodded.

"I'll see you in the morning before you leave then." He said, leaving. Eternity sighed and snuggled up in the blanket as Ed came back, carrying some blankets and pillows.

"What the...oh." He said, looking at the innocent girls with the stuff from the beds. He tossed the things he had onto the now sheetless beds. "You can have those. G'night."

"Night," Aria said drowsily.

"Good night, Fullmetal..." Eternity replied, smirking slightly. Ed narrowed his eyes slightly at the name that Mustang called him so often, but didn't comment. By then, Eternity was asleep anyway, considering how long their day had been. Ed jumped into his own bed and laid, awake, for about half an hour until Al came back.

"Shh, they're asleep." Ed whispered, pointing at the girls. Al nodded and sat on the remaining bed, not tired at all. With his little brother safely back, the Fullmetal Alchemist soon drifted off.


	10. Chapter 10

Eternity woke early out of habit. Since she usually woke up at six, waking up at six-thirty wasn't too bad. She saw Ed, already up and dressed.

"You awake?" Ed asked, perched on the side of his bed. Eternity groaned and turned over. He proceeded to shake both girls until they woke up. "You guys have to get ready to go!" Aria quickly got out of bed and grabbed a random pair of black jeans and a shirt, running into a nearby bathroom to change. Eternity did the same.

"Gimme a sec! I need to brush my hair, brush my teeth, put on makeup..." Eternity grabbed her purse and washed her face, then began to apply eyeliner and mascara. Aria did the same, annoying Ed.

"Can't girls live without makeup!" He said, frustrated.

"Nope," Eternity replied, finishing the last touches on her makeup. "Lucky for you, we don't wear that much. Ready, Aria?" Aria didn't respond for a moment, and then nodded. They grabbed their stuff.

"Wait...you went to bed later than us." Aria stated. "How did you wake up earlier?" Ed grinned.

"I only have to sleep five hours a day." He informed her. "Come on, let's get going." They followed him out the door, seeing Al and Mustang waiting outside for them.

"I'm going to accompany you for this mission, Fullmetal." Roy informed the steaming 15-year-old. "Don't worry, I feel the same way. I'm just better at hiding it." They set out down the road to the train station.

"Where are we going, anyway?" Eternity asked. Roy looked at Ed.

"You didn't tell them?" He asked, surprised. Ed gave him a helpless look. Roy sighed. "Well, this time we're going on a normal mission. We're trying to capture a man who rapes and kills teenage girls. And..." He trailed off, looking away from the two. He obviously was having trouble talking.

"And?" Eternity finally prompted. Roy stopped and looked straight at the two girls.

"And you two are the bait."


	11. Chapter 11

The girls blinked at him.

"You're kidding..." Eternity said after a moment, looking from Ed, who looked apologetic, to Roy, who looked like he was hiding his emotions. "This is the worst joke ever played."

"No joke," Ed admitted. "It's true." Aria's eyes widened.

"No. I'm not doing it." She stated, dropping her bags on the ground. "I refuse to be bait for a serial rapist, not to mention a serial KILLER!" Aria had gone into "berserk mode", where she didn't even care who was her friend and who was her enemy. She was on the verge of attacking Roy, although she would know if she was sane that he could burn her to a crisp. Not to mention the fact that if she was sane she would never mar that perfect face.

"Aria, don't be mad..." Mustang tried to sooth her blind rage, but she wouldn't hear it. Eternity grabbed her arm.

"No. Don't attack him." Eternity ordered, struggling to keep the arm in her grip. "Calm down."

"It's not my fault you weren't told earlier!" Roy protested, pulling his fingers away from Aria's snapping teeth. "Ed was supposed to tell you before we left!" Aria stopped suddenly and turned on Ed.

"Roy ordered me to make you two bait!"

"Ed has long hair because he's insecure!"

"Roy is afraid of Hawkeye!"

"Ed is a girl in disguise!"

"STOP IT, YOU TWO BAKAS!" Eternity screamed at the top of her lungs. Ed and Roy both turned, staring in awe and a little bit of fear at the angry girl in front of them, the same one who attempted to calm Aria down earlier. Aria had long since recovered and was doubled over in laughter over the insults. "I will not have you two fighting with each other this whole fucking way. I came here and thought 'wonderful! I'm finally going to meet Roy and Ed!' and all I met was two cockbiting fucktards who can't even keep their shitholes closed." Eternity finally stopped, giving Roy and Ed death glares. Somehow, her words hit home. Maybe it was due to the cursing, or maybe because of how the gentle girl had become nearly demonic, but Roy and Ed realized that she was right.

"I've never heard anyone curse so much..." Al commented.

"Al, the only reason you haven't been cursed at is because you've been silent this whole fucking trip. I'm fed up with you three!" Eternity announced, turning and leaving with her bags. Aria quickly followed, not wanting her friend to be alone. Roy and Ed blinked.

What the hell just happened?


	12. Chapter 12

"Um, Eternity? Where are we going?" Aria had never seen her friend this angry before. The girl was stalking along, completely ignoring everything around her.

"I don't know," Eternity responded, her teeth clenched. Meanwhile, the three boys were deciding what to do.

"Where the hell are they going?" Ed wondered, his expression confused. "We have to go after them."

"I say let them walk themselves out," Roy replied, emotion-free. "They'll calm down and come back."

"You know what? I'm going after them, no matter what you think," Ed announced, his mind determined. "Come with me or don't, I don't care." He strode off purposefully. Roy sighed, grabbed his things, and followed suit.

"Why aren't I ever consulted?" Al whined, following Roy and pouting. Ed was faster than the girls and their footsteps were easy to follow in the snow; soon Ed was caught up with them.

"Where are you going?" Ed asked the two girls, getting in front of them and blocking their way. Roy and Al joined him shortly after.

"None of your business." Eternity stated flatly, attempting to push past him. "It doesn't matter anyway. The only reason we're here is to be bait." Ed held out his arms and refused to let her by.

"What are you going to do alone?" Roy asked coolly, only being logical. "You don't have a house without us. All you have is some clothes. You don't even have any money. Are you going to live on the streets?" Aria stood back, torn. She knew that she really wanted to go with the guys, but she wouldn't desert her friend to stalk off by herself. She put her hand on Eternity's shoulder.

"Eternity," Aria said firmly. "They're right." Eternity froze for a moment, and then ducked under Ed's arm and continued to walk, this time leaving her things behind.

"If you're that loyal to these _cartoon characters_, then go with them. I'd rather live on the streets than be killed." Ed sighed and, running after her, grabbed her arm. He turned her to face him. She looked away. Ed was hott, she couldn't deny it. And he was holding her arm. She blushed furiously.

"Look at me," Ed pleaded softly. She slowly brought her eyes to his golden ones. "Don't you trust me? I won't let anything happen to you two." Eternity hesitated, biting her lip uncertainly. The question was, _did_ she trust him? Just a little while ago she would have assured anyone who asked that she would trust Ed with her life if the chance had come. But saying that is completely different from actually doing it. Looking at him, she realized that he hadn't let go of her. She tugged uselessly at her arm, turning redder all the time. He wouldn't let go, probably afraid that she would run off.

"I don't know," She told him truthfully. "I just..." She stopped. He let go of her slowly. "I guess I don't have a choice, do I?" She commented ruefully to herself. "All four of you are against me..." She looked him in the eye once more. "Promise me you won't let whoever we're trying to catch get me or Aria. Especially Aria."

"I promise," He vowed, smiling reassuringly. His eyes didn't show any sign of him lying, so she relaxed slightly. "You're blushing," He noted innocently. Eternity looked away once again and began to walk back without responding. She would go with them.


	13. Chapter 13

Aria smiled at her friend's red face when Eternity returned. She knew that soon Eternity would tell her everything, but for now had to be content with using her own imagination to think of what Ed said to convince her to come.

"You're coming," Roy stated. He didn't seem unsure at all; he had worked with Ed for too long. He knew that Fullmetal could convince nearly anyone to do what he wanted them to do. Eternity nodded weakly and grabbed her bags. "We better get going then. We don't want to miss the train." As they began to walk back, the two girls dropped behind and Eternity quickly related what Ed had told her. Aria sighed at the end.

"How come you get all the fluff?" She complained, referring to the situation, which she had already deemed as romantic. Eternity rolled her eyes.

"I just got us into a situation that could kill us, and all you can think about is my relationship with Ed?" She asked, exasperated yet amused. Somehow she had known that this was how her long-time friend would react to the scene. Aria didn't have time to respond as they reached the train station and barely managed to catch the train. When they sat down, Ed told them quietly exactly how everything was going to work.

"We don't get a weapon?" Aria asked at the end. "Nothing to protect ourselves if something goes wrong?" Roy gave her a thoughtful look.

"You're right," He admitted. "You should have something, just in case." Ed sighed and searched for the materials to create two knives for the girls. Eternity ran her finger along the edge excitedly and got a cut for her efforts.

"Ow," She commented, sticking her finger into her mouth. Ed grinned.

"That's why you don't run your finger along a blade," He teased. She made a face at him as they reached their destination. When they dropped their things and Al, who was too large and made too much noise when he moved to come, off at the inn nearby, the girls readied themselves while the guys found their hiding places.

"Ready?" Aria muttered to Eternity. Eternity nodded and they began to walk down a dark alleyway.

"It has to be dark," Eternity complained quietly. "It always _has_ to be dark!" Aria muffled a laugh. Eternity was the most skittish in the dark. But her laugh was cut short by a hand shooting out from the shadows behind them. In one swoop, the man that they had been bait for had his arm around both their throats, nearly blocking off their air supply. They didn't have enough air to even whisper, let alone scream so Roy and Ed could jump into action.

They were screwed.


	14. Chapter 14

Both heads were snapped back towards the owner of the hand, his breath on their necks.

"Two for the price of one," He whispered, his voice high-pitched and sufficiently crazy-sounding. Aria struggled for her knife valiantly, but her struggle was in vain. Meanwhile, Eternity struggled to attack the many places that she had learned over the years was tender: the crotch, the eyes, the throat, the stomach. But none of those were even close to within reach. She had to settle for biting the arm that held her violently. Aria, following Eternity's lead, did the same. Soon the arm was retreating in obvious pain, and the two girls spun around quickly. But when they turned around, they saw three men. No, four. Wait...men seemed to be appearing everywhere around them. Someone tied a gag on each girl, once again rendering their mouths useless. The circle grew tighter around their victims.

Roy and Ed waited impatiently for any sign that the girls had been caught, but they didn't hear a word. Always before a scream had pierced the night before the man quieted her down, and so to the two alchemists nothing was amiss. Whenever Ed would try to check if something did happen and they had missed it, Roy stopped him. If the killer saw them, it would be over. They'd have to try again, and with a different girl.

"MMMMFFF!" Eternity yelled, attempting to make a sound that their rescuers could hear. But no one responded, and Aria pressed against her back nervously. By now the circle was so tight that there was less than half a foot between the girls and a man in the ring. Suddenly the men opposite each girl reached around her and grabbed them by the hair, yanking back their heads and leaving their vulnerable neck open. Other men grabbed their arms. Obviously, they had learned from their mistakes with earlier murders, and wasn't going to take any precautions. Someone grabbed Eternity's shirt collar and pulled down violently.

Ed's sharp ears, on the alert after not hearing anything for so long, caught the rip of fabric. He leapt out and saw the scene before him. The girls were being held by...he counted quickly. 8 men. Eternity shirt was half ripped off. Ed swore loudly for not hearing anything before and hurriedly rushed Roy out. They broke up the little party, arresting each one. Aria pulled Eternity back, who was stunned while holding her shirt up. Examining the spots where she was being held, Aria discovered that they were both bleeding from their wrists, scalp, and Eternity from her collarbone. They crouched out of the way in a corner while the dirty work was done and all the guys were arrested.


	15. Chapter 15

"Eternity! Are you okay?" Ed called, running over. Roy walked calmly over to Aria, much less worried.

"Just a few cuts," Aria assured the guys. "Nothing serious."

"My cat scratches me worse than this..." Eternity commented unhelpfully, rubbing the scratches on her collarbone. She looked up at Ed. "I liked this shirt." It was ripped beyond repair; the best they could do was to see if they could find a new one. And considering Evanescence doesn't exist in this world, well...they doubted that was going to happen.

"Let's go back to the inn," Roy suggested. "We can get you a new shirt to wear, and treat your cuts so they don't get infected." Ed turned red with shame at the thought of missing the girls get hurt, when he promised that they wouldn't. But the girls rushed out ahead of the flaming Ed, and he had to lead them back to the inn. Soon Eternity was in a new plain black shirt and there was ointment on the cuts. Ed pulled aside Eternity, convinced that she was furious at him. She had refused to look at him the entire night.

"Look, I'm sorry," Ed began. Eternity glanced up, surprised.

"For what?" She asked innocently. "Saving us? Arresting all those guys? Helping me treat my cuts?"

"For letting you get those cuts in the first place." He sighed in exasperation. "I promised you that you and Aria wouldn't get hurt at all. And you did." His eyes were troubled. "I don't like to break promises." Eternity laughed, her eyes dancing.

"That would be just like you, to take that on yourself," She commented with a smile. "It's okay, really. I've gotten hurt a lot worse than this before. You're beating yourself up for nothing. Please, don't feel bad. You did the best you could." Aria strolled over, a grin on her face.

"We should've known that Ed would beat himself up over this," Aria told Eternity. "It's in his nature to be sorry that we got minor scratches. It's no use trying to get him to feel better." Eternity looked at Aria thougtfully for a moment.

"You know, you're starting to sound like Flamey over there," Eternity told her, referring to Roy. Aria rolled her eyes and stalked off, muttering about not being appreciated. "And Ed, can we please just put this behind us now? I know you've been in worse danger, so don't stress over it. Please?"

"I'll try," He responded uncertainly. She smiled in reply and leapt onto a bed, yawning loudly.

"I'm going to try and get to sleep," Eternity told no one in particular. "G'night." After a bedraggled chorus of good night, Eternity fell asleep nearly as soon as her head hit the pillow. Ed was out soon after, but Aria, Roy, and Al stayed up. Aria was up because she loved the night. Roy was up because he simply couldn't sleep. And Al was always up. But soon Aria was gone too; her day had been long and she was tired.


	16. Chapter 16

Author's Note: I changed Roy's age for this story. In this story, he's 22, not whatever his age is normally. What is his age normally, anyway? And, after the real Aria begging me day and night, I have been forced to explain the age thing. Even though she is really 15, her personality is more mature than that. It's more like 18 or 19, not 15. Just thought you should know!

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Roy let his gaze wander the room idly. Ed looked troubled; he always did, even in sleep. Eternity's mouth was slightly open. And then his gaze fell on Aria. Her hair had fallen over her face, dark and slightly curly. He was intrigued by her appearance, as she was always so logical. She somehow reminded him of himself just 7 years ago. Just young and innocent and...he shook his head. He wasn't innocent at 15! A murmur drew him from his musings to see Aria mumbling incoherently and thrashing around.

"Aria." Roy stated, striding over and putting a hand on her shoulder. "Wake up, Aria." He shook her gently. She opened her eyes and began to cry silently, her shoulders shaking. "What's wrong? Nightmare?" Aria nodded miserably. "What was it about?" Roy knelt next to her bed compassionately.

"It was about Hughes," Aria replied a moment later, her voice shaking. She cried for a moment before continuing. "It was about his death." Roy immediately knew what she meant, remembering his own response to Hughes' death. After he was alone, he couldn't stand it anymore and just cried, much like the girl before him was doing now. In a rare and spontaneous gesture of goodwill, Roy suddenly hugged Aria. In response, Aria stiffened for a moment and then relaxed. She forgot who she was with and just imagined that it was someone she knew well, leaning into Roy's chest. Roy was surprised at her actions, but very well couldn't back out on his choice now. He kept holding her until he heard a rustle of blankets behind him. He let go quickly, spinning to see all three of the people in the room staring at him. Roy stood up and brushed himself off.

"Go back to sleep, Aria," He told her stiffly, obviously uncomfortable with all the stares. "I think I'll go to sleep also." He laid down on the free bed and turned away from everyone. Soon everyone went back to sleep, but it took longer for Ed. As always, he was thinking. But soon the spell of sleep fell over him like a smothering blanket, and he dozed fitfully until they left in the morning.

Weeks passed with nothing eventful happening. Roy(who had become a permanent addition to the team) was impressed with the amount of people caught with the help of these two girls. He had never realized how helpful just having nearly helpless people walk around would be; but of course they weren't nearly helpless anymore. They had employed all of their free time in learning anything they could to get themselves out of danger, save alchemy. Neither person would let the girls learn alchemy, for reasons Eternity and Aria couldn't fathom. Ed became close friends with Eternity, and Roy enjoyed spending time having long conversations with Aria. It seemed like everything was going perfect. Until it happened.


	17. Chapter 17

The war was intense. Neighboring countries had all banded together to attack the small but densely populated country that Ed and Roy lived in. Every alchemist was requested to help. State alchemists were ordered to help.

"Don't worry," Ed reassured Eternity. "I won't get hurt." He couldn't understand the anxiety in her eyes. He was worried, of course, but not _that_ worried. He could handle it!

"Don't," She whispered, looking down. "Stay alive so you can come back." She wiped her eyes, gave Ed a quick, tight hug, and disappeared into the room prepared to pull money from Ed's and Roy's bank accounts for rent.

"You better come back alive," Aria told Roy quietly, choking back her own emotions. Unlike Eternity, she was better at controlling her feelings. But Roy saw right through the facade.

"I will," Roy vowed with an impish grin. "Would you expect anything less?" She smiled tightly at him and shook her head.

"A wise person once said 'Two wrongs don't make a right, and two lefts don't make a right...but three do.'" Eternity quipped, popping her head out the door. Her eyes were red and puffy already, and Ed hadn't even left yet. Ed grinned with grim good humor.

"I'll keep that in mind," He told the girl, already backing away. "We have to get going, Mustang." Roy nodded and walked away quickly. "Goodbye..." And then they were gone, bound for the car downstairs where Al was already waiting. Eternity let a few tears slip down her cheeks, but wiped them away quickly.

"What are we going to do now?" Eternity sniffed, her voice trembling uncertainly. She knew the city a little bit, but not enough to go anywhere and know how to get back.

"We wait," Aria responded, walking into the room. When the two alchemists had told them that they might be gone for a long time, they had been outfitted with everything that they wanted. They were surprised that most of the anime that they loved existed here. And every game system. And almost every game. For the life of them, they couldn't find a single mention of the show Fullmetal Alchemist, the games Fullmetal Alchemist, or the upcoming movie Fullmetal Alchemist. It drove them up a wall to hear how clueless these people really were, when any otaku just getting into the anime business knew about the ever-popular Fullmetal Alchemist. The two girls popped in the movie Spirited Away, Eternity's personal favorite anime movie, made some popcorn, and sat down to watch.

But Eternity couldn't keep her mind on the movie. She could just imagine Ed out there, getting hurt...she stifled a sniffle, trying not to distract Aria from the movie.

Unfortunately, Aria wasn't thinking about the movie either. Roy could be scared for once, with a broken arm or leg. He could be writhing in pain in some mud-filled hole, with none of his comrades to save him...Aria shook her head. She had seen way too many war movies, to be thinking like that. She turned her attention to the girl on the screen and her adventures, hoping to forget her own.

That was how the girls lived for months, slowly losing weight. Eternity spent long nights out on their balcony, staring down the street and praying to see an unusually short boy and his dark-haired partner to walk over the hill. Aria paced restlessly during the day, unable to stay still. They felt like they were in confinement, that they were waiting for the news that Ed or Roy had died. To them, the excruciating waiting was worse than saying goodbye. They were hurting like hell.


	18. Chapter 18

One day, when Eternity was contemplating the meaning of life(42) and the meaning of her existence, when she noticed a man in state alchemist blue walking down the street. She became panicked and, waking Aria from a nap hurriedly, told her that there was a state alchemist down the street. They put on their shoes and stepped out into the hall to see the man just stepping off of the elevator.

"I'm looking for a Miss Aria and Miss Eternity?" The man asked simply, looking around the hall. There were about ten doors, but theirs was the only one open.

"That's us," Aria replied tersely. Eternity was turning pale.

"Edward Elric and Colonel Mustang were hurt during the war," The man told the two shocked girls gently. "They're in the hospital now, and they've been asking for you two." Eternity grabbed hers and Aria's jackets and briskly followed the military man from the hall back to the elevator.

"How badly are they hurt? Will they be okay? How did it happen?" Eternity fired questions at the officer, wanting to know everything.

"Edward has a deep gash on his side, and Colonel Mustang has a broken leg and he hit his head falling. They'll be okay, as long as they don't try to move around too much. They were attacked." The man answered bluntly. Eternity grabbed the bar in the elevator for support as she swayed. When they got into the car, Eternity turned odd shades of white and gray. Aria was closing her eyes and muttering something incomprehensible to anyone but herself, looking calm but in turmoil inside. Didn't she warn them to stay out of trouble? She shook her head to clear it as they pulled up to the hospital. When they arrived, the only person there was a girl with a black tank top, pants, and a pink jacket tied around her waist sitting down and twisting a wrench nervously.

"I'll see if they can see you two," The nurse promised with what was supposed to be a reassuring smile. Eternity began to pace.

"If they don't try to move around too much," She echoed flatly. "Since when did Ed and Roy _not_ move around?" The girl sitting nearby looked up sharply.

"You know Ed?" She asked, her voice trembling a bit. Aria had been studying this blonde-haired girl since they got there, but the voice was the final straw.

"Eternity," Aria said, her eyes dancing, "This is Winry." Shock passed over Eternity's face, to be replaced by delight.

"You're right!" Eternity exclaimed, grinning and extending her hand to a very startled Winry. "My name's Eternity. I'm friends with Ed and Roy. I've heard about you." Winry shook the hand hesitantly.

"I'm Aria. I'm friends with them too." Aria smiled tightly and held out her own hand to be shook. Winry looked between the two girls that seemed like they already knew her and didn't know what to say. Fortunately, at that time the nurse called all three of them in to see the boys.


	19. Chapter 19

Eternity rushed to Ed's bed immediately.

"Didn't I tell you to be careful?" She chided gently when Ed opened his eyes to greet his visitors. Aria strolled, seemingly carelessly, to Roy's bed. Ed smiled softly.

"Don't blame me," He told her. "Blame Colonel Bastard over there. I told him we shouldn't have taken the back alleys to stay away from the real fighting. It was easier to attack us there. Winry, you came!" Ed added, his eyes lighting up when he saw her. "Have you met Eternity?" Winry nodded, her mouth a tight line.

"How did the automail hold up?" She asked, her eyes lingering on the spot where his left leg should be. The blanket sank down, proving that the automail wasn't there. His right arm also didn't seem to be there under the blanket. "You lost it." Winry was obviously struggling to keep from blowing up.

"Winry, I got hurt, and all you can think about is automail?" Ed sounded hurt. Winry softened and kneeled down on the other side of his bed.

"You're right. But what happened to Al?" Winry asked apologetically.

"Over here!" Al's voice called. In the corner there was a pile of metal underneath Al's head. Winry sighed in defeat; there was no way that these boys could keep out of trouble. Meanwhile, Aria conversed not-so-easily with Roy.

"Aria," Roy smiled in relief. "I thought you'd never come. It took you two forever."

"They didn't even tell us you two were home until..." Aria checked her watch. "Half an hour ago. We dropped everything to get here as fast as we could. Blame the doctors." Roy chuckled.

"You still have your humor." He noted idly, his mind wandering back to the time at war. It was harsh, but thoughts of finally coming home kept him from becoming crazy as so many state alchemists had from all the blood and killing. It was the bloodiest war they had ever had; if you were a state alchemist, you would understand. Usually a war means some killing, a moderate amount of blood anyone without a weak stomach could handle easily. But each alchemist in this war had to kill hundreds, maybe thousands of people. Some of them were innocents, the very people they were supposed to protect. Roy had often doubted his loyalty as a state alchemist during this time, as had others. But while others rebelled against this war, Roy had fought. But he didn't know that it was right.


	20. Chapter 20

Author's Note: There's a new poll up on my website about the fanfiction I'm thinking on writing, so go vote! And the new page is for my friend, Aria. She's making her own account and writing stories too, go check it out! Her pen name is mugen no ankoku. Now, on with the story!

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"Roy," Aria called, gently shaking the Colonel. He winced as his head was joggled.

"Don't do that." He commanded. "Sorry, I just got lost in thought. What were you saying?" The girl kneeling next to his bed sighed.

"I was telling you everything that happened since you two were gone, which took about two seconds, and then noticed that you were staring off into space and grabbing the blanket like you wanted to tear it to pieces." Aria put a tentative hand on Roy's hand; it was much easier to write romance than to act it out. "What were you thinking about?" Her voice was quiet, almost soothing to Roy. It helped him relax enough to smile, surprising Aria. Smiles from him were rare, especially around Ed. She didn't expect one now.

"Nothing important," He assured the worried girl. They began to chat of useless things, but all the while Aria's hand never left its spot on top of Roy's. Neither one of them were sure they wanted it to.

"Where exactly did all the pieces to your automail go?" Winry wanted to know. "It's not like it all disappeared into thin air. Do you have any of it?" Ed reached up and rubbed his shoulder absently, cringing as the broken skin on his side stretched slightly.

"You really want to know?" He asked, his smile only half there. Winry nodded. "It got blown into tiny little pieces, and I didn't have time to gather it all. I was too busy running from the people who were trying to blow _me_ up." Eternity sat back, feeling slightly unhappy that she couldn't join in this conversation with them. Before she even got to talk to Winry, it was obvious that the girl didn't like her. She had no idea why, but it bothered her so much that she couldn't think of things to say to Ed. It surprised her, considering they hadn't seen each other in nearly one year.

"So, how long have you and Eternity known each other?" Winry wanted to know. She made her voice sound light, but her eyes seemed to be holding back an emotion-- maybe sadness, or anger. Ed turned to Eternity; he hadn't been counting at all.

"Close to a year," Eternity told Winry. "A year..." She checked the date on her watch. "In a few weeks."

"And we've never met." Winry stated, her voice flat. She rose suddenly. "I have to get back home. Get well soon, Ed." And she was gone.


	21. Chapter 21

Eternity blinked in dismay.

"She doesn't like me." It wasn't a question, it was a fact. "Why though? What did I do?" She was really upset, seeing as how Winry was one of the most important female characters in the show. Guys were nice as friends and all, but there were some things you could only say in front of a group of girls.

"I don't know," Ed replied truthfully. "But we barely got a chance to talk! She can't leave yet!" For a moment, it looked as if he might get up and run after her. But every movement hurt, so he settled back down after a period of twitching, attempting to get up. "We've really known each other for that long? It doesn't seem like that long..." Ed commented.

"It was," Eternity confirmed. "You just weren't there for most of it." She made a face; she had hated "most of it". He smiled ruefully in response. "When do you think you're going to get out?" This question had been dwelling on her mind for a long time, it had just taken that long to actually be voiced.

"Visiting hours are over!" A nurse called from the door, beckoning them out. Eternity rose sadly.

"Bye, Ed," She said. "I'll come back tomorrow, and this time I'll bring something to do." Ed nodded and smiled. Aria rose also, on the opposite side of the room. She pulled her hand back slowly, reluctantly.

"Goodbye," Aria told Roy quietly over her shoulder as she left. "See you tomorrow." Roy nodded also; he knew that she would come back.

"When do visiting hours begin tomorrow?" They heard Eternity asked as the door swung closed. Ed grinned wider.

"What are you grinning about, Fullmetal?" Roy asked from his bed. "You just got wounded in war, and your two girlfriends are fighting." He proceeded to smirk as Ed turned bright red.

"They're not my girlfriends!" He replied hotly. "They're both my friends. And it's none of your damn business why I'm smiling!" He glared down Roy, who just stared back coolly. "Has your own flame crisped your brain or something?" Ed added under his breath, turning to fix his stare on the wall.

"Whatever you say, Fullmetal," Roy responded, his voice level and sarcastic. Ed grumbled in reply.

Why did Mustang always have to be so right?


	22. Chapter 22

The next day, as promised, Eternity and Aria returned with games, cards, and other various things.

"We told you we'd be back," Eternity told them with a grin. She pulled out a deck of new cards. "Anyone up for war?"

"Where'd you get all this?" Ed finally asked hours later, when they were in the middle of a game of Taboo.

"You gave it to us, remember?" Aria told him. "Right before you two left." Roy nodded his confirmation. Suddenly the door opened, and everyone turned to see Winry standing hesitantly in the doorway.

"Winry! Hi!" Eternity said cheerfully, scooting to the side to make room for her. "Come play Taboo. You can be on our team." Winry sat down in between Ed and Eternity, looking wary.

"How do you play?" She asked. Soon the strangeness of the day before was forgotten in the rush to guess words in the game, and the remaining visiting hours passed quickly. Eternity, Aria, and Winry set a pattern over the weeks that followed; Eternity and Aria would come as soon as it opened, and Winry would come on the days she could. She not only had to find transportation to the hospital, she had to pay the bills of the inn she was staying at. It was only natural she couldn't spend all of her free time visiting the two guys. Eternity and Aria, on the other hand, didn't have anything to hamper them. They lived quite close to the hospital (which really annoyed Aria when she found out that they could've walked faster than driven that first day), and they didn't have any bills to pay.

"Did you know that tomorrow is the first day we all met?" Eternity told the two guys before Winry arrived one day. "And then, a week after that is Christmas. We completely forgot about it last year."

"Christmas?" Roy asked. He seemed interested in learning all he could about the girls' world.

"Christmas is a holiday," Aria informed him. "It's supposed to be for the birth of Jesus Christ, but since Eternity and I are atheists, for us it's just a gift-giving holiday. Basically on December 25th everyone gives gifts to all their friends."

"Sounds interesting." Ed commented, throwing down a card.

"I think I might actually celebrate it this year," Eternity replied with a smile. "I have to pay you two back eventually, anyway."

"Another thing to pay for," Roy commented dryly.

"You don't have to get us anything," Aria assured him. "You've already done so much for us, you don't have to do more." Winry arrived, and the discussion was put aside until later.


	23. Chapter 23

In the morning, a crisp layer of snow covered the ground. Ed, allowed to get up and move, was standing at the window and watching the last flakes fall lazily. Every time it seemed like it would end, a few more snowflakes would plummet slowly to earth.

"I wish you had heard that song before we left," Eternity told Aria as they opened the door. "I'm sure you would've liked it."

"What song?" Ed asked, curious. The songs described to him before this always intrigued him, and this one was no different.

"It's called 'Existentialism on Prom Night'," Eternity explained. Roy knew what the title meant immediately, but Ed's face was blank. "Pondering the meaning of life on Prom Night." Ed's face lit up with understanding. "By the way..." She pulled out five party hats. "Here." She gave out one to each person, and left one for Winry when she got there.

"What the...?" Roy wondered, looking at the hat in confusion. He copied Aria's way of putting it on, bewildered. "What is this?"

"Party hats," Aria told him. "They're for our party for knowing you two for a year." She clapped twice, loudly, and the door opened once more. Balloons were carried in, about 20 of them. "I've always wanted to do that," Aria confessed quietly to Roy, who grinned. Eternity hummed a tune under her breath as she tied the balloons to various chairs, beds, and plants. Soon they were involved in a celebratory game of Spoons (if a game of Spoons can actually be celebratory). When Winry came in, she was utterly confused.

"What's all this?" She asked. When Eternity explained it to her, she seemed to tighten up. She joined in "party" games (they were just different games than they usually played), but only halfheartedly.

"What's wrong, Winry?" Ed finally asked her.

"Ed, can we talk in private?" Winry asked, her voice sounding fakely happy. Ed nodded and left the room with her, worried lines between his eyebrows. "I don't like this," Winry told Ed from outside the door. Despite her wanting to talk in private, the group inside could hear every word.

"Like what?" Ed replied innocently.

"All of this. How come you never told me that they even existed until I came and visited you? You could've written a letter with a mention of them or _something_!" Ed sighed.

"Is this because you think that Eternity and I are too close?" He inquired perceptively, his voice weary.

"Um..." They could just imagine Winry biting her lip and looking away, too nice to say it but thinking that he was right.

"I'll be right back," Eternity said suddenly, getting up and walking towards the door. She didn't like this, and would settle it. "Can I talk with Winry alone?" She asked Ed outside the door. He nodded and walked inside, still as anxious as he had been leaving. "You think Ed and I are too close." Eternity stated to Winry once the door was closed. She forgot to walk out of earshot; the people in the room still heard every word. "We're not close enough for anything that you're thinking. Sure, Ed would make a great boyfriend. He's sweet, protective, strong, caring, everything any girl could wish for. But he's way out of my league. Besides, I know a lot of what's supposed to happen just by watching the show. You and Ed should be together. I don't belong." Eternity turned down the hall and walked away, not willing to face the people inside. She was blinking tears away at what she had said. She was right, Ed was out of her league. He did belong with Winry. She was right!

Wasn't she?


	24. Chapter 24

Author's Note: This chapter took longer than usual to write... for some reason I kept having to stop and come back to it later. And most of this I forced myself to write, so I don't mind if everyone hates this chapter just for it's general sucky-ness. Sorry!

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The following day, Eternity and Aria didn't come to the hospital for the first day since they found out that Ed and Roy were there. Not only did Eternity have a lot of stuff on her mind to deal with-- since she realized that she had in fact been heard by Roy, Aria, and Ed-- the two girls also had to buy Christmas presents. Aria was stumped on what to get Roy.

"A flamethrower?" Eternity suggested, recieving a glare for her efforts. "Hmph. Don't say I didn't try..." Eternity had already chosen what she wanted to get Ed, and was also searching for a gift for Roy. "We should get him a puppy," She commented to Aria, who grinned.

"We'd end up taking care of it," Aria replied. Eternity shrugged.

"Well then, something to do with dogs." She said, examining a black lab calender. "This'll work!" She went to buy her items, leaving Aria to search for something to get Roy. When Eternity returned to her friend five minutes later, she was still puzzling over the dilemma. "You're not very good at finding a present, are you?" Aria shook her head, smiling sheepishly. "Here. Lemme help." She started first with the statue aisles, mulling over the tiny lifelike dogs sitting on each shelf. After realizing how easily those break, she moved on to something that Roy could use without worrying about breaking it.

"How about a necklace?" Aria suggested. "No, not like a locket with those tiny chains that fall off so easily," She defended herself against Eternity's look. "Something more... macho."

"A ring?" Eternity responded, earning a smile. "But it has to be something thick-banded, or else it'll look girly... and it would be best if it was a thumb ring... you don't by any chance know his ring size, do you?" She asked Aria, who shook her head. Eternity sighed and headed over to the ring section, with her friend in tow. After about 15 minutes of browsing, Aria and Eternity finally agreed on a plain silver thumb ring, that was too large for both of them so it would hopefully fit Roy. They left, but by then the visiting hours at the hospital were over. They spent the rest of the day wrapping their presents and wondering exactly how Roy and Ed would react to them.

When they entered the hospital the next day, everything was very awkward between Eternity and Ed.

"The doctor said that we're almost ready to leave," Roy finally commented, hoping to start a conversation that would break the tension in the air. Eternity made a move on the chess board in front of her. "He said that we'll be out by the 25th."

"That's great!" She replied enthusiastically. "Checkmate, Ed." Ed groaned and reset the board. "That makes... 2-1."

"4 out of 7." Ed told her, determined to beat her. In previous games on earlier days, Ed had been just as bad. But, in his defense, he barely knew how to play.

"Mm-kay." She moved her pawn and waited for his move.

"I wish they would just talk," Aria murmured to Roy. She watched the pair intently. "They should get it over with."

"Ed would never do that," Roy replied quietly, fiddling with a Rubik's Cube. "He doesn't want to make her feel uncomfortable." When Winry opened the door, she froze for a moment, and then entered. She seemed happy, almost smug. When Eternity won the round of chess again, she turned the board over to Winry and retreated to listen to the radio. She noticed, very painfully, how relaxed Ed became while talking to Winry. Winry seemed just as content, and the two chatted about useless things.


	25. Chapter 25

When they left for the night, it was obvious even to Roy how depressed Eternity seemed. Sure, she smiled, but it was apparent that she wasn't having any fun.

"Fullmetal," Roy said after the three girls had left, "Have you noticed how Eternity's acting lately?" Despite the fact that he wasn't that close to her, something had to be done.

"How?" Ed replied. Roy groaned at his partner's obliviousness.

"She's been really... depressed. Haven't you even noticed?" Roy asked, annoyed. "You two need to talk about this." Ed stared at Roy in disbelief.

"Why?" He asked, confusion written on his features. "Everything's working out just fine. Both of us have forgotten about that thing already..." He trailed off at the look that Roy was giving him. "What?"

The next day, Aria and Eternity were soaked when they came in due to the pouring rain outside.

"On a day like this, I'll never be able to get that song out of my head," Eternity finished saying to Aria as they hung up their coats. Roy drew Aria aside and starting talking lowly to her.

"What song?" Ed asked, curious. Eternity blinked, not used to him talking to her much after that 'incident'.

"It's called 'When I think about Angels' by Jamie O' Neal." She responded, looking at Roy and Aria in the corner uneasily. They looked up to no good. Aria turned around, smiling.

"Roy and I are going to go take a walk. We'll be back later!" She called, following Roy out the door. Eternity groaned. Of course, Aria would convince Roy to let Ed and her be alone... But Roy was the one that was talking to Aria. _Note to self: Kill Roy and/or Aria later._ She thought to herself, sitting on a chair near Ed's bed. Ed cleared his throat, seeming uncomfortable.

"Um... Eternity, can we talk?" Ed asked, shifting on his bed.

"We're already talking."

"No, about... you know. About a couple days ago." Eternity's head was down, but Ed caught her looking at him out of the corner of her eye. "I was wondering...what exactly did you mean, 'out of your league'?" Eternity sighed, looking towards the floor once more.

"Do you realize how many people would kill to be in my place right now?" She started out, picking her words carefully. "Do you know how many people would kill _me_ to be in my place? In my world, there are literally millions of raving fangirls that are obsessed with you. They watch every episode of your show, they know everything you've ever said. I'm not one of those people. I missed most of the episodes, but still, I'm the one that ends up actually meeting you." She took a drink of water from a glass on the bedside table, and then looked him straight in his golden eyes. "You _are_ out of my league. That's what I meant. No matter how much I may wish that..." She paused, her eyes flicking across his face for any reaction. Ed kept it carefully blank, wanting to know the entire story before he replied. "No matter how much I may wish that you liked me, you're too good for me."

"But I do like you." He was confused.

"No, not like a friend like! Like... _like_ like." Ed's face was still puzzled. "Like... like boyfriend/girlfriend like."

"Ah." There was silence for a moment, in which Eternity fiddled with a silver bracelet on her wrist. "But... I do like you." He repeated finally, looking at her.

"But you like Winry too." It was a statement, and Ed nodded miserably. She was avoiding looking at him, wondering about what the next move would be. He tried to catch her eye, but she refused to look. Finally he gently cupped her chin and turned her face towards him. His eyes, so close to hers, showed concern for her reaction. "Ed..." She was cut off by his lips meeting hers. Gently, just a brush, but Eternity's heart raced for the second they touched. Ed looked into her eyes and smiled gently. They heard a muffled gasp outside the door, and they jumped apart to see Winry staring at them from the open door. Winry turned and ran as Ed jumped up.

"Winry!" He called, starting after her.


	26. Chapter 26

While Ed chased after Winry, Eternity sat, stunned. She hadn't expected anything like that, more like "I've known Winry for longer" or something. Thinking of what happened, a blush crept into her cheeks and stayed there until Roy and Aria returned.

"Where's Fullmetal?" Roy asked, looking around the room in confusion. Aria noticed immediately Eternity's blush.

"What happened?" She asked Eternity. Eternity got up and whispered the entire scene into Aria's ear. "Roy, Ed is... out. Hopefully, he'll come back." Eternity smiled gratefully at Aria's secret-keeping ability, and the fact that the entire scene was catching up to her. She was kissed! By Ed Elric! She sat back down, a dreamy smile on her face. Roy looked at her and chuckled.

"I think I can guess what happened." He told Aria, getting a sharp look from her. "Let me guess... You and Ed talked, and made up, and... " He thought, tapping his chin with a finger. "Hmm... you kissed." He added. "Winry caught you two kissing, and she ran off. Fullmetal chased after her." Eternity blushed even more, making Roy grin in triumph. "Someone will find him. He can't have gone far; he doesn't have the strength to run much yet."

"Which means if he runs out all his strength, he won't be able to get back, right?" Eternity asked. Roy nodded, his face thoughtful. "Then we have to find him. Chances are he spent all his energy chasing Winry down and doesn't have any to get back. That, and he's probably lost. Help me look for him?" The pair agreed, and they split up to search the hospital for both Ed and Winry. Aria found a trail of people wondering where the 'little boy' was running so fast to, and quickly found him resting against a wall.

"Ed," Aria called, nearing him. He turned. "Come on. Eternity's worried that you're not going to have the strength to get back, and you'll get lost." Ed scowled.

"But I have to find Winry," He protested weakly. It was obvious that he was already tiring.

"Someone will find her, I promise," Aria assured him. "But let's get you back to the room." Ed looked at her and sagged, realizing that she was right. Aria gave him support as they headed back to the room. "Hmm... no one's back yet. I'm going back out to look for Winry, okay?" Ed nodded and laid down.

Eternity wasn't having any luck finding Ed, but she had a good lead on where Winry was. Soon she found Winry, sprinting down the halls but slower than she usually ran. She had been going for too long and she needed a break.

"Winry!" Eternity called, her voice echoing down to her target. When Winry heard her, she spun around and stopped. It was clear that she had been crying; her eyes were red and puffy, and she was sniffling.

"What?" Winry asked finally, breathing hard from her run.

"Come back to the room," Eternity pleaded. "Please?" Winry shook her head, her eyes filling with the hurt she had felt at seeing Eternity and Ed together like that. "Why not?" Winry gave her a level glare.

"Did you kiss him or did he kiss you?" She asked after a moment, assessing the situation. Eternity began to fidget uncomfortably.

"... I really don't know," She finally admitted. "Please come back. Ed's worried about you." That got Winry's attention.

"Worried, is he?" She asked bitterly. "Well, tell him I'm going home." And with that she stalked out the nearest door into the pouring rain and was soon out of sight. Eternity sighed, disheartened, and began to head back. When she got there, she saw Ed lying weakly in his bed.

"Winry went home," She told him quietly. "Ed... I'm sorry. I never wanted to ruin your relationship with her." She really did feel horrible about it.

"It's okay," Ed responded, his voice sounding worn out. "It's not your fault." Eternity smiled at him, and he smiled back.

"Go to sleep," She ordered sternly. "You wore yourself out." Ed nodded and was soon out cold. Eternity brushed a few loose strands of blond hair from his face and sat back, awaiting the other's return.


End file.
